Chapter 6 - The Freezing of the Empire
By Monday morning, the shockwaves of the Walker family audit had rippled through every high-end institution in Dallas.
Jack’s suspension from the hospital was absolute and immediate. The executive board didn't even wait for the formal indictment; the moment federal agents served search warrants at his departmental office and seized his medical records, his career evaporated into thin air.
I spent Monday morning in Gerald’s high-rise corner office overlooking downtown Dallas, reviewing the asset forfeiture schedules.
"The liquid accounts tied to the shell companies have already been restrained," Gerald explained, tapping a stack of legal documents across the mahogany table. "Your pre-marital trust provisions held up flawlessly, Megan. Every dime Jack tried to siphon into offshore accounts under Carol’s name has been legally traced back to corporate embezzlement funds. The feds are looking at a minimum of ten to fifteen years for him."
"And Carol and Ashley?" I asked, sipping my coffee.
"They've been hit with accessory charges for money laundering," Gerald replied smoothly. "Their personal assets—including Ashley’s loft and Carol’s country club memberships—are currently under receivership. They’re finding out real quick what actual poverty looks like without your paychecks covering their lifestyle."
I felt no pity. Pity was a luxury reserved for those who hadn't spent a decade being systematically exploited while raising a family alone in spirit.
My phone buzzed against the desk. It was an unknown number, blocked, but vibrating with relentless urgency. I let it go to voicemail. A second later, a text preview popped up on the screen:
May you like
Megan, please. Mother is hysterical. The bank took everything. They're threatening to foreclose on the house. Please talk to me. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
I tapped the screen, blocked the number permanently, and tossed the phone onto the leather couch.
